First Encounter
by Laurel.Evermore
Summary: When Gwen encounters a new boy in her class, she doesn't know what to expect from him when strange things begin to occur in her school...
1. First Encounter

**Blurb: A fearful encounter strikes the heart of Gwen when she realizes who and _what_ the new boy is in this short but thrilling story.**

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**First Encounter**

Two people from my class haven't been in, ever since Theo had joined us. It's odd really, they've been missing the whole two weeks; even their parents don't know where they are.

My dreams about that boy have been unusually rare. It used to be every two weeks, just after midnight. Now it's every month or even two. I don't know his name but his face always seem clear to me. His dark charcoal hair and his mischievous, scarlet eyes are always the best features to look at. For some reason, I find myself thinking about him a lot... Maybe it's love?

No. I think its fear.

I've always been bullied by the girls in my school. Just because I'm not as rich and as fashionable as them and just because my mom works as a dinner lady and my dad, a janitor. They bullied me with whatever reason they could find and they did it all so skilfully. That's when I met _Him_. After a long day at school, he appeared in my dream. My dream was about the teacher staring at me, the boys staring at me, the girls teasing me. Even though the teacher knew about it she didn't do anything.

It's different when I'm with him though. He knew about it, that's why he'd done it. He appeared outside my classroom window- his bloodshot eyes angry and frightful. He was dressed in our uniform but it was all plain black. His hair, slowly turning grey and then pure white. His fangs slowly growing longer. Now I knew what he was: _a vampire_.

On his right hand he clutched a sharp blade soaked in crimson liquid, dripping; synchronised with the ticking off the clock. I stared at him afraid of who he was, afraid of what he was. He wasn't human and I realised that.

I didn't know what he was going to do. At first he vanished from outside the window and then appeared before me, behind Karen. He raised his right hand and placed the blade against her neck whispering solemnly into her ear.

The first expression I got was her eyes widening and her lips quivering. The next was her, turning around facing his smiling face and screaming. The last, was her, falling down, blood escaping her neck. God knows what happened to Cassandra.

Cassandra was the main person who bullied me. She was the culprit, the mastermind, the leader. I hated her and she hated me. We never spoke kind words to each other, not even once. But I still don't like how he had done it. It was true murder, true nightmare. He vanished quickly from behind Karen and stood behind Cassandra. He didn't use the blade on her neck. No, not this time; he used it above her neck- the head.

It was impossible; a blade can't just stab one's head, of course the skull would be there to protect it, but naturally, he had a trick up his sleeve. His blade was one of a kind, it was supernatural, the kind of weapon every murderer would dream of- invincible.

He brushed his lips over Cassandra's neck and then he pierced his two long fangs and sucked on her blood. Cassandra gave out an alarming cry, tears trickling from her eyes and hands shaking uncontrollably. When he was done with her, he finally swung the blade from behind her head. Splodges of blood stained his dark clothes and pale face. Cassandra fell to the floor, lifeless. The whole class was staring at him, horrified and in panic but he was staring at me...smiling.

It's been four months since I had that dream. Cassandra, Karen and the rest of the girls had still been bullying me but not since Theo came. Theo had always been kind to me but had also been mysterious. His dark, jet black hair and blue, dashing eyes are his best features.

I still wonder what he'd told Cassandra and Karen that day, two weeks back. He approached them after school, on the way home and whispered something beside their ears. It's only natural that both of them would listen to him because they had a big crush on him. I don't know what happened after that but I haven't seen them ever since. When I asked Theo about it the following two weeks he just smiled and said,

"Don't worry, they'll be just fine".

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**Hi guys, I'd just like to let you know that _I am_ the claimer of this story- I made it myself like three years ago and I thought I'll post it to see what you think. I wrote it when there was a big hype over Twilight- but no worries, this isn't Twilight related at all! **

**I'm going to write a few more to accompany this series, so please review and wait for the next chapters! :3**


	2. Before the First Encounter

**Hello again. Well this is the second chapter of the series. Do bear in mind that it does change perspective but will have the same principal. Do enjoy and most of all, respect that this is _my own work_ so I wish for no copying (not like you'd want to since you can probably do a tonne better) **

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**Before the First Encounter**

Amongst the cloudy grey clouds and the ebony dark sky I saw '_her_.' Wearing a black lacy dress and her long golden hair swaying with the wind, I gazed at her profound beauty. Her skin was as white as chalk and her lips were a vivid red. She looked at me with her piercing garnet eyes and I knew I shouldn't have witnessed what I've seen.

"Stay away!" I'd shouted but that only seemed to make her come even closer.

She took one step at a time, her black high heels clopping on the concrete floor. She didn't say anything, but she didn't need to because I already know what she's going to do: kill me.

"Stay away!" I'd shouted again but it was no use. She had me cornered in an alleyway where no one can see us or yet alone hear me cry for help.

My back was flat against the wall, I knew what this meant-it's time for me to die. She drew closer until her lips were right beside my ear. She whispered with that soft voice of hers, "Sweet dreams Alan Starke" and then she opened her mouth and revealed her sharp white fangs that she drove into my neck. I felt the most excruciating pain as she bit me and I felt warm blood dripping down my left arm. "Who… who are y-you?" I managed to say.

She withdrew her fangs from my neck and against the huge silver moon of night she smirked with a profound actress smile. She licked my blood away from her lips, "I am," she began, "your worst nightmare".

I woke up with a jolt and had cold sweat all over my forehead. My heart was beating fast and I couldn't stop shivering. It was just a dream, but remembering her face sent chills down my spine. I looked across at my desk, where my alarm clock stood. It was already eight o' clock; Theo should be knocking on the door soon.

I quickly got dressed, made myself a coffee and a piece of toast with jam. As I stuffed the last bit of bread into my mouth, the doorbell rang and Theo appeared. "Hurry up Alan!" he shouted.

I got up swiftly and answered the door. Theo was there smiling at me in the bright early morning. His jet black hair ruffled as if he just got out of bed. "I'll just be a moment" I told him as I rushed back to get my bag and quickly brushed my teeth.

As we walked to school together Theo was unusually quiet. "What's wrong Theo? You're never this silent" I joked. Theo turned to me and smiled weakly, "It's nothing Alan… I just feel… slightly uneasy." He looked up at the pale blue sky, "Something unexpected might happen today"

It only took us ten minutes till we arrived at school. As both of us approached our classroom, I noticed that a strange buzzing was coming from inside. Feeling quite curious, both of us entered. "Now class," called Miss Roxanne from the front. "Please be welcoming to our new student. She has just transferred from America and she will be with us for only two weeks" she gestured to the slender girl standing next to her and I gasped.

The girl next to Miss Roxanne was blonde haired. Her hair hung loose about her waist and her skin was deathly pale like milk. She smiled sweetly with her rose red lips revealing her pearly white teeth. My eyes followed her smile and saw that her canines were slightly sharper than the rest. "Hello everyone, my name is Jane" her bronze coloured eyes locked with mine, "Jane Valiere. I hope we'll get on"

She stared at me again and I felt my heart beat pick up. Cold sweat trickled down my forehead as I took a sharp intake of air. "C'mon Alan, let's sit down" I turned to my side and found that Theo was gesturing for me to sit. I followed him and felt Jane's eyes heavily staring at me.

When it was break time, I asked Theo. "What do you think of that transfer student? She kinda freaked me out."

Theo was chewing on an apple. He looked up at the last sentence. "She was cute… but how did she freak you out?"

"Her eyes… they were glaring at me. And—" I waved my hands to show that it didn't matter. "Never mind. You won't believe it even if I told you"

Theo gave me his famous lopsided grin, "Try me. I'm a great listener."

"Well I had a strange dream last night" I began. "It was a cloudy night and the moon was shining high on the sky. I was walking alone on the streets for some unknown reason and then I heard a piercing scream"

"What like a woman's scream?" Theo asked interestedly.

"No. It was a man's high pitch scream" I grinned slightly. I continued with my story resuming my serious expression. "When I followed the scream it led me to an isolated alleyway and that's when I saw _her_"

"_Her_? As in _Jane_?" Theo mused.

"Yeah…" I sighed and glanced around to ensure that no one was eavesdropping. "She was bent over and all I could hear was her sucking on the man's neck. I was about to run away and quietly escape when I suddenly knocked an empty beer can and she turned around and saw me"

"So what did you do?" Theo was leaning forward and his expression suddenly became solemn.

"I tried to run…" I said weakly, rubbing the spot on my neck where she had bit me, "but she caught me before I could make my get away"

Theo frowned and chucked his apple core in the bin. His blue eyes suddenly grew darker and I could see a slight glint of red. "Did she… bite you?" he asked quietly.

I nodded, feeling hot despite it being autumn. "I couldn't get away. When I asked her who she was, she told me she was my worst night mare—"

Theo got up so suddenly that it surprised me. "Theo what's wrong?" I asked when I spotted him shaking his head and covering his face. He had his back towards me as he spoke. "Alan I want you to stay away from me" he murmured after a while.

"Stay away? Why?" I asked slightly confused. "Theo—you're my best friend. If there's something wrong you can tell me y'know"

Theo still refused to face me. For some reason, I began to feel hot even though the sun wasn't shining. "Please…" Theo mumbled. "Go away. If you stay near me any longer I might—" Theo paused.

I looked at him. "You might… what?"

There was a long pause. "Go!" Theo had screamed.

"Alan" I turned around to see that a girl was standing there. It was Jane. Her bronze eyes were flaming as she stared at both of us. "Leave that monster be. If you remain near him any longer after being bitten…"

I looked at Jane sharply then. "Bitten? So does that mean that my dream last night—" Jane took hold of my hand quickly and started leading me away. I turned back to look at Theo, standing rigidly where I left him. When I looked away for a second and looked back again, I found that he had disappeared.

I tugged my hand loose from Jane's iron grip. "Stop leading me away" I snapped, putting weight on my feet so we could stop. "I want to go back to Theo. I need to talk to him—"

"You must forget about that monster" she said in her musical voice sternly. "Now that you have been cleansed, you must consider him- friend or not- dead."

"Stop calling him a monster!" I shouted. Jane flinched slightly at my outburst. "He's my friend and I'm going back to him. As far as _you're _concerned: _you_ are the monster! I don't even know who you are—" I paused briefly as I realised something horrifying, "or _what_ you are"

We had, by this time, walked far off into the field where it was abandoned and quiet. Jane looked at me quietly. "I guess you won't follow me willingly if I don't explain" she said.

I nodded cautiously. "Someone owes me an explanation" I retorted.

Jane sighed. "Tell me Alan, what do you know of your parents?"

I fidgeted. "I… I don't remember them." I looked down ashamedly.

Jane approached me and placed her cool fingers on my forehead. "You do Alan" she whispered soothingly. "Just try and remember…"

_A dark room. Quiet and eerie as dark shadows danced along the ceiling, projected from a flickering candle. My vision was blurry. I rubbed my eyes with my podgy fingers. How old was I? My fingers were small and I had splashes of watercolour up my blue pyjama sleeve. Probably five or so years of age._

_I heard a loud thud. Somebody screaming: was it mommy? Another shout. Deeper this time- like a man's. Daddy? They sounded in pain._

"_Mommy?" I heard a young voice say out loud. "Daddy?" I approached their bedroom. Their door was ajar. I heard a squelching noise. Like when you're drinking a delicious cold glass of orange juice. Gulp gulp gulp. I pushed the door open._

_Blood. Red blood everywhere. Mommy lay on the floor lifeless. Daddy was being cradled by a boy: he was older than me. He wore black clothing. There was a blade at one side. He was leaning forward, drinking from daddy's neck. A stream of red blood pooled down daddy's arm and stained the white fleecy rug that mommy had bought earlier that day. More blood everywhere. The room was a mess._

_I stood paralysed. Fear slithered under my skin like a slippery snake. "W-what h-h-have you done?" a young voice asked. It sounded so defenceless; so frightened and so young. The boy in dark clothing turned around slowly. His black hair was dripping with thick red liquid and his face was smudged from wiping away the blood he had drunk. He smiled wickedly revealing a pair of long fangs as his deep scarlet eyes flared with intensity._

_I gasped in fear at the boy who sat smiling down at me. He looked the same as he did then. The best friend I had trusted and relied on for so long ever since my parents' death seven years back. He was the same boy I had come to open up to; he was like my brother. _

"_Good night Alan Starke" the boy's shadow fell upon me as he approached me hungrily. I opened my mouth to scream but before a note even sprung from my lips, I felt the piercing pain of sharp teeth slice into my neck. My arms convulsed uncontrollably as the rest of my body begun to numb…_

I gasped for air as Jane released her cool fingers from my forehead. When I opened my eyes, I found that I was on the grass kneeling as I felt cold sweat trickling down my back. I panted, "Theo—he- he killed _my_ parents?" I looked up at Jane as I said this and she nodded ruefully.

"But why? He was my best friend!" I shook my head unable to accept what I'd just seen, "I-I trusted him…"

"The monster only kills people who the host wishes them to. Tell me Alan, did you ever wish your parents dead?" Jane squatted down so that we were on eye level.

"I-I can't remember much about that day but—" a chill went down my spine as a memory flashed before my eyes. "That morning, I wanted a new truck. A-a big jumbo truck to play with but my mom had said no. I-I got angry and started to cry and then—" I covered my mouth to try and choke down the tears as they spilled down my cheeks. "Oh my God. _I_ killed my parents…"

Jane sat up and rubbed my back to comfort me as I cried away my sorrow. "The monster must have heard your wish and paid you a visit to fulfil it" she said quietly.

"But I didn't mean what I said!" I shouted angrily, "I was only five. I was only a _child_…" A few moments passed before neither of us said anything. Jane got up and dusted her uniform as she stared into the horizon. "You are free now though Alan. You have finally awaken from his poison"

I looked at her puzzled. "Why did Theo befriend me and keep me alive?" I got up and wiped away my girlish tears, embarrassed that I cried in front of a girl. "He killed my parents" I muttered heatedly, "but he became my best friend"

"It was his poison" she stated matter of factly, "we vampires become eternally lonely because we are immortal. It is not a crime that we too wish to have a companion to pass time with"

"So why did you rescue me? You entered my dream and bit me saying you were my worst nightmare"

Jane smiled at this. "We can only enter your subconscious state if you are having a nightmare. And besides, it is my duty to kill that monster you call Theo." Jane closed her eyes and when she opened them, I saw that they had turned the same garnet red I saw last night.

"But where will you find him? If he's a vampire like you, he must be long gone already." I balled my hands into fists and clenched them tightly. I had never felt so betrayed in my life. "And how do I know I can trust you?"

Jane stared at me through arrogant eyes, "We vampires may be the same in race but different in cultures. I have been chasing this monster you call Theo for many centuries and it is a very ancient story why." She looked wistfully at the orange leaves on the neighbouring trees. "He will find another host" She declared, "but it is your own choice to place your trust on a vampire of my calibre"

I followed her gaze and we stared at the withering tree together. "I trust you" I finally said. Jane smiled weakly. "Then I trust that you will accompany me on this long journey?" she asked. I stared at her in shock. "You want me… to come with you?" Jane glared at me. "But of course. I am a stranger on this land- everything is foreign to me and I will need a guide to assist me on this quest."

"But where will we go?"

Jane laughed, "To the ends of the world if I see fit"

"But what about school?"

"Your heart says you care less about your education"

I frowned. "But—" before I could even begin my sentence, Jane grabbed my hand and made me face the cloudy sky. "There are many questions that are left unanswered," she whispered. "And there will be a time when I can answer them. But for now, like how when the sun disappears through the clouds, we must vanish also"

I looked at her not knowing what to expect and nodded understandingly. Jane smiled her voluptuous grin, "Alright Alan. We must now, therefore, begin our quest to avenge your parents. And remember— this is only the beginning."

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**So now that you've read this, please review! I don't mind criticisms as that's part of becoming a great writer :) Don't worry, there'll be more if you manage to stick around .**


	3. Second Encounter

The Second Encounter

A year has passed since the police had found that Cassandra and Karen had committed suicide after school in their homes. It was strange at first. I didn't know how to react when I found out the next day: should I have been happy that they were finally gone? Or should I have been crying like everybody else? I didn't know. So when they stopped class at 12 o'clock this afternoon to pay respects, I just stood there silently like a bystander, as if I was just a complete stranger off the streets, praying for the recently deceased.

The whole affair had been suspicious though. They just simply ruled the affair out as a self inflicted suicide and that there were no signs of break ins in both homes nor were the parent's at all aware that their daughters were emotionally unstable. The whole event caused a hype over at school too. Did Cassandra and Karen have a fight the night before? Were both girls deeply depressed? And the one question that stuck in the minds of all; if it was murder- who did it?

As I walked along the corridor slowly, remembering the constant nightmare I dreamed of all those nights before- I shivered. So many things have happened in the past year and all those events were because of Theo.

"Gwen!" I heard someone shout. I turned around and found that it was Fern, my new best friend. "I'd just been round Science," she explained, "and while I was there I heard that there might be foreign exchange students coming in!"

I gave her my surprised look, "Really? Did they say from where?"

Fern grinned enthusiastically, "Rumour has it that they came from England! Ain't that great? We don't get many foreign exchange students coming to our school from England."

I nodded. "But what would they want to do in Australia? We both speak English…" I frowned disappointedly, "I was hoping they were from Germany or something"

The distant sound of footsteps caused me turn around. Once I did, I found myself gazing at the one person I had grown to trust. "Hi Theo" I heard Fern say. He nodded politely and returned the greeting, "Mornin' Fern. What's this about new students?"

"It's the biggest news this week!" exclaimed Fern excitedly, "Apparently they're from England and that they'll be in Australia for a week!"

"Students huh?" a worried look passed Theo's face but disappeared quickly. He attempted to smile like he always did but I knew something was wrong. "Do you know whether they're either boys or girls…?" his voice trailed off.

Fern shrugged. "I dunno…" she gaped at the white washed ceiling above her in thought, "but I sure hope they're hot guys!"

Theo perked up a smile and gave Fern one of his killer smiles; he stretched his lips back to reveal a band of pearly white teeth and as he did this, a dimple appeared in his right cheek. "You better be careful of what you say," he warned playfully, "Pip might get jealous"

Fern suddenly frowned at this. "Well Pip could sod off! It's not like _he_ owns me"

The sound of the school bell ringing caused Fern to suddenly jump in surprise.

"Well… we should get going now Gwen" spoke Theo. His deep blue eyes glinted mysteriously against the obscured light. For some reason I sensed tension around his arms—like he was trying to prepare himself from an unexpected surprise and whether to carry out the fight or flight response. Whatever bothered him, it was to do with the exchange students. And I was about to find out what.

He gestured to the other end of the hallway and I took a step closer to him. Fern waved goodbye and walked the opposite way. "Let's meet at the usual place at break" she told me. She glanced at Theo, who was busy staring at pictures of athletes. Her mischievous eyes gave me a wink as she whispered, "better keep that guy under a leash if the exchange students happen to be girls" and she trotted off before I could fully comprehend her message.

I turned around and stared at Theo; little did I know of the unexpected events that awaited me on this fine summer morning.

They were definitely foreigners.

When I and Theo entered the classroom, two unknown figures stood nearby the entrance. The girl I saw wore her hair in short ringlets; golden curls that only reached her shoulders. The other was a boy with hair plastered against his forehead- he was clearly not used to the change in climate.

It was only us four in the classroom at the time. When the foreigners heard us coming in, they turned around. The boy's eyes widened as he searched Theo's face and the girl's eyes flared into an unmistakable deep shade of crimson. I felt Theo freeze at his footsteps.

Now that I had a clear view of their faces I noticed how pale the girl looked. She poised herself so much like a cheetah ready to strike, that I flinched slightly. She looked like an actress- so beautiful was her skin and so fair were her features. The boy in contrast was quite the opposite. He had dark rings around his eyes and the angry look on his face didn't do much good to his first impression on me. Theo glared at the two of them.

"Theo…" the boy's voice had trailed off.

"I see you've found yourself another host" observed the girl as she looked at me with her beady eyes.

Theo moved slowly in front of me. "What do you want…Jane?"

The girl called Jane smirked and then suddenly her expression turned sour. "I want you to firstly know why we've come this far to find you. Alan." She nodded at the boy and he acknowledged it.

He took a step closer to Theo and stared at him solemnly in the eye. His expression looked blank; but somehow there was a mixture of hurt and betrayal knitted within his brows. "You bastard…" he uttered quietly. "You killed my parents"

Theo was silent. His shameful expression came about as he hung his head in shame. "I…" he couldn't finish.

Alan gritted his teeth in frustrated anger. "You lied to me" he muttered. "You became my most trusted friend and then…" his face darkened, "you just left. Just like that. Well, you won't be able to anymore!" he suddenly yelled. He pulled a silver dagger from his blazer pocket and revealed an ancient looking miniature sword.

"Your life ends here—!"

"Stop!" I screamed as I moved to block Alan's berserk attack.

Alan halted immediately- the tip of his dagger so dangerously close to my throat. Jane hissed at my interruption. "Finish him off Alan! The fight between us shall end at his execution!"

"I said _stop_!" I screamed at her. Jane looked at me surprisingly: she was clearly not used to taking orders from strangers- or anyone in fact. "What are you trying to accomplish by murdering Theo?" I asked rather bravely. I turned to the foreigners, "Who are you? And what do you want? You're clearly not here as normal exchange students." I stared at them and they stared at me back, as if clearly seeing me for the first time.

I turned around to Theo who still hid his face under the shade of his long black fringe. "Theo?" I whispered. "What is going on here? What do they mean by you killing someone's parents?"

Theo shuffled in his feet. Speechless.

Jane scoffed in triumph and mockery. "Why won't you tell her _monster_? Why won't you tell her what you are? What _we_ both are?"

Just then, the plodding of footsteps at the doorway caused all four of us to turn around. More kids were appearing and when they saw the peculiar positions we were in, they asked aloud, "Somethin' goin' on?"

Jane exchanged looks with Alan and retreated to their calm positions. Jane's eyes turned into a bronzy colour. I searched Theo's face for an explanation but he stood rigidly planted to the ground. He refused to speak no matter how much I urged him.

"Why won't we take this somewhere else?" suggested Jane cautiously as she glared around at the people. Alan had his gaze fixedly at me. "You should follow us" he said coldly. "We'll explain everything to you once we're alone"

The two left the room swiftly. I looked at Theo and grabbed his hand to lead him away: he was deathly cold. "Theo…?"

"I'm… sorry Gwen" he whispered in a coarse voice. He looked up and I saw his clear blue eyes lose all their charismatic shine. "I want you to stay here. This matter… I must settle alone- with them. I don't want you to hear more of the cursed truth…"

"So it's true?" I asked astounded. I looked at Theo in horror and gasped. "Y-you…?"

Again he looked away.

I swallowed my fears for a moment and thought as rationally as I could. This was Theo. He was my best friend and most trusted companion. Somehow he has a dark past which he refuses to relay to me, but in spite of all that, he had helped me through my tough times. Should I do the same?

"L-let me go with you" I quivered. "Please. I must know"

Theo led the way silently and I followed in a heated pursuit. "Just promise me" he utters before we head off, "that you will trust me whatever happens" he looks sullenly at the long path to the outdoor grounds, "it was about time you found out about me."

They were waiting.

When we reached the outdoor grounds where the sun was brightest, Theo halted in front of the foreigners who looked at him expectedly. "So you decided to not runaway" commented Jane. "How rather brave of you"

"Let's settle this once and for all Jane. What is it that you want that you tail me around like a lapdog?"

Jane snarled at the insult. "How dare you call me a lapdog!" She hissed menacingly, revealing her pearly teeth. I noticed that her canines were unusually sharper than normal.

"We both have a grudge against you" Alan murmured. "This past year we have been tracking you down. We've been to many countries…" suddenly a disgusted smile slowly appeared on Alan's face. "Just imagining the sight of your blood being spilled from my dagger gives me indescribable pleasure…" he revealed the sharp weapon so that it glinted mesmerizingly in the sunlight. "It disgusts me how you've come to ruin so many people's lives this past century. To think I ever trusted you—"

"You were not wrong to trust me!" Theo bellowed. "Alan. I can't help being who I am—"

"Then you should have killed me when you had the chance!" Alan retorted. Hot streams of tears streaked down his haggard face. "You made me live a life of lies after you murdered my parents. You infected me with poison- you made me forget what it was to have a family!"

Theo hesitated. "I did that because you wished me to. I cannot help granting people's wishes no matter how dark they are. I do it for the sake of my people's custom."

Jane snarled. "Then I'm guessing this girl here is also under your spell" she focused her large eyes onto me and I shivered.

"W-what spell?" my voice sounded small.

Theo took a step forward. "This has nothing to do with Gwen. She wasn't bitten like the rest" he glanced at my direction and then looked back. "I ask you. Please. Do not cause commotion here."

"We will do what we please, _monster_" Jane replied riled. "We shall not enforce mercy upon you simply because you have requested it. Did you ever consider the consequences when you struck Fifi?"

"Fifi?" repeated Alan.

Jane's eyes grew a dark shade of crimson like before. I watched in fascinated horror as her teeth grew sharper and her facial features turned wild with unexplained anger. "You killed her!" Jane screamed. Without warning, she pounced onto Theo and bared her fangs as they tumbled towards the ground. Jane swiped at Theo ferociously and Theo fought back. As they struggled on the ground, tumbling across the dry grass, I felt someone's coarse hands clasp around mine. It was Alan.

"We need to get away" he shouted urgently.

"No!" I tugged at my hand defiantly. "What are you doing? I need to be by Theo's side—"

"This place is dangerous. Vampire fights are not one for humans to see" he said hurriedly. Until now I haven't really paid attention to his British accent.

"_Vampires?_" I exclaimed. "Theo isn't a vamp—"

I never got to finish my sentence as I watched Theo get launched onto the sky by Jane's mighty kick. Theo's body came flying down onto the ground, but surprisingly, he landed on all fours unharmed. As he looked up, I saw that his eyes had grown the same shade as Jane's: blood red.

Jane got up on her leather boots and dusted her frilly red frock. There was a smudge of blood near her lip where one of her fangs punctured a small hole. "Well well. You've finally decided to fight me seriously"

Theo glared at her. With his black shirt and trousers- the picture of recognition suddenly landed on top of my head like a pile of bricks. "Y-you…!" my voice shook in alarm. "Th-theo… y-you… you killed Cassandra and K-Karen?"

Theo looked at me painfully in the eye. "I did" he said softly. "And I did it all for you"

Suddenly I lost all strength in my legs and I felt my breath escape. It was all a big shock to me. Theo was a vampire… he had killed Cassandra and Karen… he could have killed _me_.

Alan caught me just in time before I collapsed onto the floor. I felt sick; I felt weak. Theo rushed to my side but Jane stopped him. "She is with us now. She clearly does not want to be with you after finding out what you _are_; after what you _did_" she hissed defensively. "Now you shall perish before my blade…!"

Jane raised the dagger that Alan had been carrying and struck Theo in the chest. A fountain of blood sprouted from his wound as Theo fell down on his knees. "Theo!" I screamed.

Jane pulled the dagger from Theo's chest and I watched in painful horror as Theo's black shirt darkened even more. I willed my legs to move and I struggled to Theo's side; half crawling across the grass away from Alan's captive hospitality.

"How could you!" I screamed at both of them. "Theo, please. Theo, don't die…"

I cradled Theo in my arms and watched his eyes flicker from scarlet to their original blue shade. Hot tears trickled down my cheeks and spilled down onto Theo's ashen face where his eyes slowly glazed over. "Gwen…" I heard him utter. I placed my ear close to his mouth and listened to his dying words. Within a few seconds- his body vanished into a flurry of sparkling dust.

Jane and Alan looked down at me as I sobbed for Theo's passing.

"You should be thankful child" she said calmly. "If we hadn't disposed of him he would've victimised more people like you"

Alan approached me and crouched down onto his knees. "I'm sorry it had to end this way. I just wanna say that Theo… he too was my best friend once. But you gotta understand that what we did was—"

"Murder!" I shouted. Alan looked taken aback. "You murdered Theo for your own gains. Well now you've got what you wanted."

Jane took a few steps closer. "Listen Gwen, Theo was a murderer. What we did here was justice to those he had killed"

"Well now I must avenge Theo's death and serve justice to him!" I exclaimed in frenzy. I got up to my feet and gaped at the foreigners. So much hatred boiled in my veins that I felt like all sadness suddenly drain from my heart.

"This is not the end," I told both of them. "There will be another encounter." I stared at both of them in the eye. "And for one of us— it will be our last"

The sun had risen so high in the sky that I too had my spirits high. I stalked off into the shadows, leaving Alan and Jane wondering what dark surprises lay ahead of them…


End file.
